Bioactivity profiling of Cornus mas L. leaf, bark, and fruit extracts from different locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina with molecular docking studies

Cornus mas L. is traditionally used for various medicinal purposes, although systematic data on its pharmacognostic properties are still limited. Considerable variation was observed among plant organs, so phenolic and flavonoid content varied by plant part, with location-related differences among samples, with the highest in leaf and fruit from Bijeljina and the lowest in leaf from Sarajevo. Antioxidant activity was much better in leaf and bark than in fruit. Extracts inhibited ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, with MICs mainly at 125 µg/mL; bark extract (Tuzla) showed 250 µg/mL and reduced biofilm formation. Leaf and bark extracts showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity against PC-9, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cells, while fruit extracts were weaker. In human lymphocytes, bark (Bileća) and leaf (Tuzla) extracts decreased nuclear division and induced micronuclei at 200 µg/mL. Molecular docking indicated strong bacterial target binding for loganin and cornuside, supporting the antibacterial and antitumor potential of C. mas.